Related: Women Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union The United Kingdom (UK) was a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) from 1 January 1994 to 31 December 2020, following the coming into force of the 1992 EEA Agreement (as adjusted by a 1993 protocol).
Theresa May, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, stated in 2017 that the British government would not seek permanent membership of the European Single Market.
The EU is also required to conduct extensive consultations with EEA EFTA members beforehand via its many committees and cooperative bodies.
[11][12] A 2013 research paper presented to the Parliament of the United Kingdom proposed a number of alternatives to EU membership which would continue to allow it access to the EU's internal market, including continuing EEA membership as an EFTA member state, or the Swiss model of a number of bilateral treaties covering the provisions of the single market.
Norway's European affairs minister, Elisabeth Vik Aspaker, told the Aftenposten newspaper: "It's not certain that it would be a good idea to let a big country into this organisation.
[15] Given Scotland's vote in the 2016 referendum to remain in the EU, contrasted with that of the UK as a whole, the Scottish Government has looked into methods of retaining access to or membership of the EEA.
[17] In January 2017, Theresa May announced a 12-point plan of negotiating objectives and confirmed that the British government would not seek continued permanent membership in the European Single Market,[4] leaving open an option of retaining EEA membership for a-one year transition period after EU exit day (originally 29 March 2019, postponed to 12 April and then to 31 October, before finally occurring on 31 January 2020).